Health services have been a priority for Head Start since its inception and remain a core need for the more than 1 million children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs each year.

Drawing on survey data from 73% of Head…

Senate Resolution 2013-62 (Appendix A) directed the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to consider the effect of major federal and state programs in assisting low-income families to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce the number of families…

This MEF Associates evaluation report prepared for the City of Seattle evaluates their Career Bridge program. Career Bridge was developed as an alternative means of addressing recent gun violence in the city by addressing employment barriers of low-…

This blog post highlights the recently released final report on the accomplishments of State Advisory Councils (SAC) on early childhood education and care. SACs were authorized in the Head Start Act of 2007, with a goal of promoting partnerships…

Recently, the economic climate has refocused attention on how to design effective workforce development strategies to benefit low-wage and low-skill workers advance in the job market. However, one key barrier faced by this group is a lack of child…

In November 2014, Congress reauthorized the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal child care program, for the first time since 1996. The law strengthens CCDBG’s role as a major early child education program, as well as a work…

Infants, toddlers, and children living in high-poverty communities experience a high rate of exposure to trauma, placing these youth on a compromised developmental path. This issue brief summarizes research about the impact of trauma on young…

The goal of workforce development efforts serving individuals in poverty is to provide them with the skills and credentials they need to increase their earnings in the labor market and advance to self-sufficiency. It is important for workforce…

This blog entry includes an interview with one of the first Head Start participants. The participant credits Head Start for helping pave the way for her academic successes and explains why she believes early education is crucial for young children.

Of the 14.3 million children eligible for child care subsidies under federal rules, only 17% receive subsidies. This brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) presents data about the population of eligible…